Improvement in couplings for plows



' Zdday of November, 1869.

eno oww-1n N., orV Jaen s oNvIIiLYE, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent-No.` I12,273,.dated.lilebruary28, 1871.

iMPRovEMENT. IN 'couPLlNes FoR'pLows.

The Schedule 'referred` 'to these L'etbers Patent and making part of thesme.

'Te all/ whom imag-concern; -Be'it lmown `that I, Gnonen yOvvnlrjof Jacksonville, in the county of Morgan and Stateol' Illinois,

'have invented new and useful Improvementsin Coup` lings for Double-Flows and Cultivators;`and IV do hereby declare that the following is'a full and exact- `description thereof', reference being had to the` ac conipanying drawing n lalri'ngl part of t-liisspeciticatione Figure 1` beingja'frontview of double'cultivators provided with myV improved couplings;

. v-Figure 2, aside, vew'of', the same;

Figure' 3, a top view thereof; i, Figure 4, a view of a vpartdetached; Figures 5 and 6, views Of-moditied parts;

I Figures 7 andS, views of' another modified part.

Like letters designate corresponding part'sin'nll 0f the gures-,

' My improvements arerepresentedasapplicable to two cultivators A B; but they are 'equallyapplieable to two plows coupled together. "The 'general plan of coupling is similar tothe rigid double-plow :coupling with'loose joints, patented by me on`thef4th'day of Jebruary, 1862, and reissued a second time on the i The parts,^as. represented, comprising thestocks of twocultivators or plows are,t he beams a. b, standards c d, and handles e f.

'lo each stock are attached twoenlti'vator-teeth g g and h h, respectively. The shovel-teeth shown may he replaced by others which turnthe ground to one side, either right or left, those ofthe two cultivators,

respectively, toward or from each other. Or vthese 'cuItivator-teeth maybereplaced by single or double points, sharesflandsides, and-mold-boards, forming regular plows'. Or :more 'than twov cultivator-teeth maybe used on each stock; and anyform or arrange-- ment thereof maybeadopted. i

"'lwo rigid coupling-bars D E, ofwood or metal, arel securedto the standards ed of the two bultivators; andone coupling-bar Ggissecured tothe beamsfa b, near thefront ends thereof. They are all, if made of` single pieces, of sucientlen'gth to enable the two cultivators tobe separat-edasiar as may ever berequired.'

vThe front main figures as having lan upward arch or bend, t, in .the middle, to pass over growing corn ol" other plants, when they have grown too highfor straight couplings to pass over; but a straight bar is indicated by dotted lines in fig. 1, and shown separately-iu figs. .7 and 8.

l The lower rear coupliug'fbar E, also may have such an `n pwardarohfor bend..

My first improvement .consist-s. .in the improved joint which connects" the rear coupling-bars D and E coupling-bar. represented in "the with the staudardsc d, 4so as to secure lperfect freedom of motion to the cult-ivators, either laterally, up and down,lor -forward and backward; ,wh-ile one enltivator regulates the position and movements of 'its fellow thereby, so that the attendant, wit-lione handle, e or j, foreach eultivator, can guide both with `as much ease and certainty as he cana single cultivator or plow.

`Flhe joint is composed of a` short roller,r K, with a Around stem, l, 'projecting at right angles from the middle thereof, to pass through the coupling-bar, and -ofjtwo'e'ye-bolts L L, to receive the journals-utf thc roller, secured to the standard o'ithe cultivator by a sc1ew -sliau k at, passing through the same, and fast- 'cned .by a nutro."

The rollerK is, located in a position transverse to the oouplngfbaiy'and turns-freelyin its eye bearings L L, lwhilefits stelnl turns freelyin thecoupling-bar. 'lhus is obtained a joint 'of 'strength amply' s'uiiicent for the purpose, and yet allowing a free movement in every direction to the coupling-bar ou the Standard; and in orderto allow suiicient. lateral play to the coupling-bar, so as not to be obstructed in its motions bythe standards,the stem l of each roller isflong enough to permit-the coupling-bar to play laterally thereon, as indicated. 'lhe couplingbar is heldY ou' the` roller-stem bya forked spring-pin, fm, shaped as shown particularlyv in iig, 4, so that the two legs thereofl may he pressed Vtogether for inserting itthrongh the hole of the stem, land then, by springing apart, theyhold the' pinv securely in place, against any liability to belost ont, to which it' vwould be s ubject'unless thus guarded against by this construction.-

Suitable metallic washer plates p p, may be placed between the .shoulders of the eyes L-L and the standard` anda washer, g,fb`etweeu' the coupling-,bar and thel fastening pins in m,'on thest'e'ms'l l,' of the rollers K K', to prevent wear and abrasion.

As represented, the uppercoupling-bar Dis placed vin front of, and the lower coupling-bai" E behind, the

standards cid. This arrangement, though preferable Y as )allowing the freest movement .of parts, is not absolutely necessary, as'bo'th may be placed before -or behindA the standardsi lhe'stems l l, of thejoint-rollers K K, are inserted through either ,one of two sets of holes 1 i', in each r fcouplingbar, 'atdifferent distances from the ends thereof, according to the distances apart ofv which the cultvator-stocks are to be placed. lhe corresponding 'holes of. both setsin the same coupling-bar are at equal distances from the middle of the bar; and these holesmay be marked by scales, and numbered -correspondingly, as represented at s s, fig. 1, forconven' ience in changing the distances.

In figs. 5 and 6 is shown a modication of the coupling-joint, as above described. Two staples K L are linked together, as shown in fig. 5, to form the universal joint. The staples are formed respectively as shown in iig. 6. The two stems Il of the staple K,,

pass loosely through the coupling-bar, which has lateral play thereon,-and is held by spring-pins -m m, as above described; and the staple L has screw-shanks n n, to pass through the standard, and to be held by nuts o o, as iu'the foregoing plan.

The forward coupling-bar G, for the front ends of the beams a b, isarranged in a somewhat diierent manner from that of the rear coupling-bars D E, above described, tc adapt it to its position.

With this bar the coupling-joints are formed by means of the clevises H H, of the beams, there being in the upper leg of each clevis a transverse horizontal slot, j, through which the ends of the coupling-bars project, and. turn horizontally therein on vertical pivots or bolts ll; It, inserted in vertical holes of the clevises, as shown. Each slot is made considerably longer than the width of the coupling-bar, and wider than the thickness thereof, so as to allow a perfectly free play or movementto the coupling-bar in every direction ltherein.

There are sets of adjusting holes fr fr in each end of this coupling-bar, through which 'the pivots k la pass; and these holes may have scale'divisions, and numbered in the same manner as the adjusting holes in the rear coupling-bars, and corresponding therewith in distance and number.

lThe ends -of the coupling-bar are widened longitudinally where they pass through the slots of the clevises, in order to hold it firmly in an upright position; while its middle arched or bent portion i is widened vertically to give it strength.

A single draft-bar, I, is connected with the clevises H H of the cultivators by'swivel links zo: and bolts y y passing through them and the drat-bar, and by additional connecting links z z.

The bolts y y pass through diiierent holes of the draft-bar, with numbered scale divisions, as and corresponding with those of the coupling-bars.

When the t'w cultivators or plows are brought close or near to each other,- as is sometimes desirable, 'the draft-bar I becomes inconvenient to use and is dispensed-with, and, instead, two side clevises M M, of peculiar construction, are attached to the outer 'sides of' the beams a l, respectively, substantially as shown.

These clevises are pivoted at their rear ends on bolts or pins u 'anso that the front ends may be adjusted up and down to vary the depth ot the draft. They are adj usted by means of a vertical slot, s, (tig. 2) in each, and a tightening screw, t.

The draft-chain or the whiiletree is hooked into an eye, c, in each clevis.

The double cultivators or plows thus coupled may be mountedl with wheels, if desired, and the advantages thereof will be retained.

What I claim asn-ly invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved coupling-joint, composed of the roller K, with its stem l and key m, and the eyes'L L, yall constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The double eultivators or plows, yprovided with the coupling-bars D aud E, jointed thereto by the couplings K L L with the coupling-bar ',G, jointed thereto by the slotted clevises 'H H, and pins or bolts i k k, and with the sidey clevises M M, all constructed and arranged substantially as'and for the purpose herein specified.

Specification signed by me February 9, 1870.

Witnesses: GEORGE OWEN.

GALEB LETTON, GEORGE VANZANT. 

